By Ashoke Raj
Chabahar [Iran], July 14 : Indian Ambassador to Iran, Rudra Gaurav Shresth, paid a visit to the Chabahar Port on Friday, marking his first visit to the port since assuming the charge as envoy.
The visit comes soon after he presented his credentials to the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi in the first week of July.
“Chabahar is an important project for India and it shows that the ambassador has chosen to visit Chabahar in his first official visit outside Tehran,” a source told ANI.
On his first visit to the Chabahar Port, the ambassador interacted with several senior port officials.
The port’s General Director, Engineer Asgari, Governor of Chabahar, Dr Sepahi and India Ports Global Limited Managing Director Sunil Mukundan and senior officials of the port also interacted with the envoy.
Ambassador Rudra Gaurav Shresth is a career diplomat and a member of the Indian Foreign Service. He assumed charge as the Indian Ambassador to Iran in May 2023.
Earlier in his career, Shresth worked in India's Diplomatic Missions in France, Mauritius, Afghanistan, Singapore, and Bhutan. He also served as India's High Commissioner to Mozambique from 2016 to 2019.
The Chabahar Port holds strategic importance for India, and the country is developing the Chabahar Port in a phased manner. The country is developing the first phase of the Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar. The capacity of the port will reach 8.5 8.5 million tonnes (MT) at the end of the first phase.
In May 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a contract in Tehran on the Shahid Beheshti port of Chabahar, which includes, among other things, an investment of USD 85 million for the purchase of equipment for the port.
Recently, PM Modi at the 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, remarked that SCO members can work towards maximizing the utilization of the Chabahar Port following Iran's membership of the SCO, the official press release by Prime Minister's Office said.
Chabahar Port is a seaport in the Sistan-Balochistan province of Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.It serves as Iran's only oceanic port and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti.Its geographic proximity to Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) gives it the potential to develop into one of the most important commercial hubs.
"The International North-South Transport Corridor can serve as a secure and efficient route for landlocked countries in Central Asia to access the Indian Ocean. We should strive to realize its full potential," the PM said, as per the release.
He further mentioned the importance of better connectivity. "Strong connectivity is crucial for the progress of any region. Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust. However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the Member States," the release said.
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